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Canada is going after two free trade deals in Asia in 2026. The first is a one-on-one deal with the Philippines. The second is a wider pact with ASEAN.

ASEAN is the 11-country bloc that covers most of Southeast Asia [Brrunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, with Papua New Guinea having an observer status] and a population of almost 700 million people.

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For Canada, the math is simple. ASEAN has nearly 700 million people. Its economy is over $5 trillion. It is on track to be the world's fourth-biggest by 2030. A done Canada-ASEAN deal would add over $1.5 billion to Canada's GDP.

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Critical Minerals Are In The Mix

The Philippines side has a second angle. The country is the world's second-biggest seller of raw nickel. Canada wants its capital chasing local mining and processing.

A separate critical minerals deal is also on the table. It would mirror a memo Manila signed with the US on supply lines for clean energy gear.

The Canada-ASEAN team closed two chapters last September. They cover rules and customs steps. The harder chapters are still open.

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cross-posted from: https://mastodon.art/users/NickEast_IndieWriter/statuses/116583839234928477

I'm in this meme and I don't like it 😜 😂

I'm in this meme and I don't like it 😜 😂

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I've got Trump Phone V2 now ready for deposits.

The Canada-led NATO brigade in Latvia has moved beyond its original “tripwire” deterrence posture and is now focused on mounting a credible defense of the Baltic country bordering Russia, according to its commander, Col. Kris Reeves.

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Canada has about 2,000 troops in Latvia, and its contribution to the NATO Multinational Brigade there represents its largest overseas deployment. Alliance doctrine on the eastern flank defended by Canadian troops has shifted following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and while the tripwire logic still exists, it’s now backed militarily by forces expected to actively hold ground rather than just trigger a response and await reinforcements.

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“And even more important than that, the local population out there is now beginning to trust us and understand us, because they’re going to support us when we fight,” Reeves said. “We are, to use your term, still the tripwire force, but we’ll be even more effective by being out there quicker and understanding the terrain out there even more, and having more support.”

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cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/shit/p/1127291/why-are-dads-like-this

Archive: https://archive.ph/tYwLo

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/47417775

[May 14, 2026 [good article that outlines various (dishonest) approaches by centrist Democratic politicians to Democratic voters' antipathy to Israel.]

Wendy Sherman, who served as deputy secretary of State under the Biden administration, made headlines in late April when she told Bloomberg that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “led” the United States down the road to “genocide” in Gaza.

In the next sentence, however, Sherman said that she remained a “strong supporter” of Israel. It marked one of the most blatant examples of a rhetorical strategy widely emerging among Democratic politicians since October 7: using language that validates progressive criticism of Israel — including, now, the word “genocide” — while simultaneously insulating themselves from the charge that they have abandoned Israel.

Knock knock.

Who's there?

I eat mop.

I eat mop who?

Eww, that's gross.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has signed legislation banning the sale and manufacture of certain semi-automatic firearms, prompting immediate lawsuits from gun-rights groups.

The limits on “ assault firearms,” as they are described by the legislation, are among two dozen new restrictions and regulations on guns enacted by the Democratic governor in her first few months in office. That marks a sharp policy reversal from her Republican predecessor, who had vetoed many similar measures.

“Firearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong on our streets,” Spanberger said in a statement Friday. “We are taking this step to protect families and support the law enforcement officers who work every day to keep our communities safe.”

The new gun restrictions move Virginia closer to the likes of California, Illinois and New York, which similarly have full Democratic control of their legislatures and governors’ offices. They also highlight a continued national divide on gun policy, as various Republican-led states have taken steps to relax firearm restrictions that they describe as an infringement on Second Amendment rights.